Tapestries Unicorn With Shield

Unicorn with shield (15th Century)
Extract from The Lady & Unicorn Tapestries.
Extract from 'The Lady & Unicorn' Tapestries. The Unicorn was fabled for its beautiful shape, its great agility & its virtue. For this reason the unicorn was invisible to all but virgins. Rare & reputedly elusive, the animal was greatly in demand since its horn was supposed to have the marvellous power of counteracting poison. Wine, which had been poisoned, became harmless if drunk from a unicorn's horn; knife handles made from this substance exuded small beads of liquid if the food was poisoned. Naturally, such a talisman would fetch any price & was avidly sought after by kings & noblemen to protect them from the death by poisoning frequent in the Middle Ages. Unicorns, finally, were also the symbol of purity & of unattainable love.

Please Note:

Fabrics by their nature are flexible, during storage, humidity and temperature may occasionally affect their shape and also cause creasing. To help a tapestry hang better we recommend using a dry iron on a 'Cotton' setting. Lightly iron the tapestry from the centre towards the edges [on the face]. In very extreme cases the Tapestry can be stretched by pulling the panel gently by hand, diagonally.